Plight of Odisha's Migrant Workers: Two Deaths in 10 Days Expose Apathy in Bolangir
6 Dec 2024 1:13 PM IST
Deceased migrant worker Kishore Majhi's wife (Photo by arrangement)
Bhubaneswar: The persistent struggles of migrant workers from Odisha's Bolangir district have once again come to light, with two tragic deaths reported within 10 days. The latest incident involved Kishore Majhi, a migrant worker in Telangana, whose body was brought back to his native Ambapali village on Wednesday.
The ordeal of transporting Kishore’s body fell entirely on his grieving wife and young daughter, who had to borrow ₹50,000 from villagers to hire an ambulance. Neither the employer nor the middleman, known as the ‘sardar,’ offered any assistance.
Sources revealed that the family faced immense difficulties in arranging the transportation, relying solely on the goodwill of neighbors to cover the ambulance charges. Shockingly, no officials from the district administration visited the family to provide aid or support.
This tragedy follows another recent case where the body of a migrant worker from Khulan village in Titlagarh block was brought back under similarly dire circumstances.
Government data paints a grim picture of the hardships faced by Odisha’s migrant workers. In the past decade, 409 migrant workers have died, with 233 fatalities reported in just the last three years, according to information shared in the Odisha Assembly.
Thousands of workers from districts like Bolangir, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, and Nuapada migrate to other states in search of livelihood. However, many return with injuries or in coffins, highlighting systemic failures in safeguarding these vulnerable individuals.
The lack of support mechanisms and administrative intervention in these cases underscores the urgent need for comprehensive measures to protect the rights and welfare of migrant workers.
The ordeal of transporting Kishore’s body fell entirely on his grieving wife and young daughter, who had to borrow ₹50,000 from villagers to hire an ambulance. Neither the employer nor the middleman, known as the ‘sardar,’ offered any assistance.
Sources revealed that the family faced immense difficulties in arranging the transportation, relying solely on the goodwill of neighbors to cover the ambulance charges. Shockingly, no officials from the district administration visited the family to provide aid or support.
This tragedy follows another recent case where the body of a migrant worker from Khulan village in Titlagarh block was brought back under similarly dire circumstances.
Government data paints a grim picture of the hardships faced by Odisha’s migrant workers. In the past decade, 409 migrant workers have died, with 233 fatalities reported in just the last three years, according to information shared in the Odisha Assembly.
Thousands of workers from districts like Bolangir, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, and Nuapada migrate to other states in search of livelihood. However, many return with injuries or in coffins, highlighting systemic failures in safeguarding these vulnerable individuals.
The lack of support mechanisms and administrative intervention in these cases underscores the urgent need for comprehensive measures to protect the rights and welfare of migrant workers.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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